This is exactly what I had pictured – me watering all of the veggies and flowers with a sweet goldendoodle puppy following me around. Okay so it hasn’t been ‘exactly’ what I was thinking, but it’s been pretty great! This sweet, goofy, boy has brought joy to so many people already and I can’t imagine the yard without him. Yesterday was his half-birthday and I thought what better way to celebrate than with an update! There are so many things that I didn’t consider when buying a puppy – the teaching, impatient moments, and mostly the overwhelming amount of cuddle time. Now that we’ve made it this far, i’m going to share a few things that I wish I had known before bringing this sweet boy home!

1. SCHEDULE – Like a baby, Parker requires consistency that I never thought I would need to give him. Other than needing to take him on many potty breaks in the beginning, he needs so much more than that. We didn’t realize that he would need such a strict food schedule (silly, us), or that we would need to make sure he was in bed around the same time. To be honest, this has been so much easier mostly because of my mommom! My grandparents have been staying with us while their home is getting renovated. And while I thought that would make this puppy process more frustrating, she has made it a lot easier. She gets up and let’s him out, watches him in the evening when we aren’t home, and makes sure he gets out all the time. I don’t know what i’d do without her, honestly! Keeping him on a schedule has made it possible to potty and crate train him!
2. TOO MUCH ADVENTURE – Parker is like a toddler in a lot of ways, goofy, naps alot, and get into EVERYTHING. Although he’s getting better everyday, he wants to explore and find new things to basically put in his mouth. The recycle isn’t safe, the poor house plants have taken a beating, and basically anything that falls onto the floor – he is quick! He’s gotten into a 25lb bag of sugar (we wont talk about that), takes my dads tea bottles constantly, and can’t be left alone for anymore then 30 seconds. We’ve adjusted to picking everything up more, watching carefully, and making sure anything toxic is far, far, away.
3. MEDICAL EXPENSES – I’m not naive, I knew he was going to be an investment. But I never thought it would be this much. Silly, me again. So far he’s received all of his vaccines ($), gotten a bacterial infection ($$), and will be getting neutered this summer ($$$). Yes, it’s all adding up, BUT we signed up for Embrace Pet Insurance and I am loving the security. It has taken care of some expenses, but mostly gives me so much peace of mind. Naturally, Parker is a trouble maker (see above!) and this ensures that if something ever happens, Heaven forbid, we will be able to take care of him. It’s worth every penny.
4. THE BOND – I’ve never been responsible for anything like this before. Sure I own a home, a business, and vehicles, but they aren’t LIVING. Parker needs me in a way I wasn’t prepared for. The way he adores me is unlike anything else. He listens to me best, follows me around, and is constantly trying to show me he loves me. It’s the sweetest thing. It seems like recently everyone has been loosing their dogs in my family. Whether old age or an illness, I can’t imagine what they’re going through. I would be lost without my Parker!

Obviously, we couldn’t imagine life without Parker. For a f1 goldendoodle puppy, he sheds mildly (possibly because it’s summer), is very smart, of course, and is very lovable! At 6 months old, he is about 60lbs! He’s going to be a big boy! In a few weeks i’m going to share some of our favorite toys, foods, etc! Keep an eye out for that post as well!